Beka Valentine
| aliases = | series = Andromeda | image = | gender = | notability = | occupation = | base of operations = Eureka Maru Andromeda Ascendant New Systems Commonwealth | known relatives = Ignatius Valentine (father, deceased); Talia Valentine (mother); Sid Valentine (uncle); Raphael Valentine (brother) | status = | born = | died = | 1st appearance = "Under the Night" | final appearance = "The Heart of the Journey (Part 2)" | actor = Lisa Ryder }} is one of the central characters featured in the science fiction television series Andromeda. Played by actress Lisa Ryder, she first appeared in the series pilot episode, "Under the Night" and appeared in 109 out of 110 episodes of the series in total. Biography Beka Valentine was the Captain of the salvage vessel, the Eureka Maru. Her initial crew consisted of Chief Engineer Seamus Harper and an Environmental Officer named Vexpag. At some point during her career, she picked up the Magog Wayist Rev Bem (though his function aboard the Maru remains largely unclear). During one operation, Vexpag donned an environmental suit with a faulty seal and was killed when he tried to board a depressurized ship. Beka replaced him with a perky young woman named Trance Gemini, but learned a harsh lesson from Vexpag's demise and made sure that all of her crew members were well-practiced when it came to safety measures. In the year CY 10087, Beka accepted an assignment from a Nightsider named Gerentex. Gerentex hired Beka and her crew to find a legendary lost Systems Commonwealth High Guard ship called the Andromeda Ascendant. The Andromeda disappeared 303 years ago, making it a historical relic of great value. They found the ship perched on the edge of a black hole in the Hephaistos System. Using Bucky cables, Beka pulled the ship safely away from the black hole's gravitational singularity and boarded it. She and her crew were shocked to discover that it's onboard computer was still operational, but moreover, it's original captain, Dylan Hunt, was still alive. Her employer however, proved to be an unscrupulous being and was willing to sacrifice Beka's life (along with the others) in order to lay claim to the Andromeda. Beka, Seamus, Trance and Rev turned against Gerentex and sided with Dylan Hunt. Along with a Nietzschean mercenary named Tyr Anasazi, they turned the tables on Gerentex and his hired underlings and exiled him from the ship. Dylan Hunt, having been frozen in suspended animation at the edge of the event horizon since CY 9784, had the misfortune of discovering that the glorious Systems Commonwealth he once served no longer existed. Committed towards rebuilding the Commonwealth, he asked Beka and the others to become a part of his crew. Lured by the promise of great adventure, Beka agreed. "Under the Night""An Affirming Flame" Notes & Trivia * * Actress Lisa Ryder is also known for playing the role of Kate Boone, wife of main character William Boone on the first two episodes of Earth: Final Conflict - another series based on concepts developed by Gene Roddenberry. Related categories * images * appearances See also External links * * Beka Valentine at Wikipedia * * References ---- Category:Lisa Ryder Category:Lisa Ryder/Characters Category:Chicks who kick ass